Nuclear crisis won't affect Games bid, say Tokyo
Date: 26-Aug-13
Country: JAPAN
Author: Elaine Lies
Local residents fish at Onahama port in Iwaki, about 61 km (38
miles) south of the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power
plant, Fukushima prefecture August 23, 2013.
Photo: Issei Kato
Radiation levels in Tokyo are no different from those of other major world cities and the worsening crisis at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant should have no impact on the city's bid to host the 2020 Olympics, Tokyo's governor said on Friday.
Japan's nuclear crisis this week escalated to its worst level since a massive earthquake and tsunami crippled the plant more than two years ago, with a tank holding highly contaminated water leaking 300 tons of radioactive liquid.
But Tokyo governor Naoki Inose told a news conference roughly two weeks before the decision is due that he was confident the problem would be resolved, citing promises from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the government as a whole will take a proactive role.
"Our food and water are totally safe and all the data is published on our home page. Right now, there's absolutely no difference between the radiation levels in Tokyo, London, New York and Paris," Inose said.
"As a result, the Fukushima issue is one that must be solved swiftly, but I think there is no direct connection to the hosting of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games."
Tokyo is competing with Istanbul and Madrid to host the 2020 Games, with the final decision set for September 7 in Buenos Aires. Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympics in 1964 and Japan has twice hosted the Winter Olympics.
(Reporting by Elaine Lies. Editing by Patrick Johnston)
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